About nature and bees in Finland

I know quite a bit just looking outside the window. It's true we have had a 
spring that has been not near the averages. Bees had the first flight in 
February mote than month earlier than average. The weather was after that 
very warm, but when willows started to bloom it turned so cold that the bees 
did not get much. Also the weather stayed + 10 - + 15 during dandilion 
flowering and this prevented the bees from getting much. The past week has 
been hot upper temperatures + 26 and it is promising the same for still a 
week. Unfortunate for my bees the dandilions are almost gone and the next 
flowers that give nectar are still closed. Most likely they will open after 
about a week. The main crop from wild raspberries after two- three weeks. We 
always have this 2 - 3 weeks without nectar this time of year. The bees 
don't fly much as there is no nectar available.

As bees started raising brood a month earlier than normal and have got less 
than normal from two most important spring plants, the hives have very 
little or no honey. I have been feeding mine for the past 3 weeks in order 
to keep them going . As I am an organic beekeeper this means feeding honey 
and organic sugar.

We have had warnings in media  about high level of UV radiation. But the sun 
is almost as high as it can bee for us, and the clear weather allows the 
radiation in. The levels are high but nothing abnormal. Its quite recent 
with this warnings as before the health officials did not worry so much. Now 
they are better informed about the risks of cancer coming from burned skin.

The only new fact for me is reports from bumblebees that are dying in some 
places. I figure that they are starving out as they also started earlier 
than normal and have got very little food. Normal people call about the 
bumblebees for beekeepers association and wonder if they are seeing CCD.

Ari Seppälä

Finland

Anyone on the list coming for IBRA beekeeping congress in Finland next week 
?

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